It's All in How You Fall

by Sarah Henning

Overview

This swoon-worthy summer sports romance is all about finding the perfect new sport—and the perfect person.

Gymnast Caroline Kepler has three state balance beam titles, a new trick even most elites can’t do—and chronic, undeniable back pain. While she might never be an Olympian, she has dreams of leveling up to elite, making Nationals, and competing in college. But when one epic face-plant changes all that and Caroline’s back pain goes from chronic to career-ending, her dreams are shattered and her life is flipped upside down.

Enter Alex Zavala, a three-sport athlete who’s both incredibly cute...and her brother's best friend. He offers to give Caroline a crash course in all the sports she’s missed, and she has an offer for him in return: For every sport Alex teaches her, she’ll play matchmaker for him. Deal done. Caroline “dates” new sports with Alex for the rest of the summer, which is loads more fun than wallowing in despair. Just as Caroline starts to see herself as more than her past athletic successes, she picks up something she didn’t bargain for: a big fat crush on Alex.

Turns out life was way easier when it was just layout-fulls and beam burns.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780759556676
Publisher:	Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Pages:	320
Product dimensions:	5.45(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	12 - 18 Years

About the Author

Sarah Henning is the author of several books for young readers, including Throw Like a Girl, It’s All in How You Fall, The Lies We Conjure, the Sea Witch duology, and the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky trilogy. When not writing, she runs a ton (but no longer has time for ultramarathons), dotes on her two kids and two cats, and takes walks with her husband and fluffy corgi. Sarah lives in Lawrence, Kansas, home to Langston Hughes, William S. Burroughs, and a really good basketball team (Rock Chalk!). She invites you to visit her online at sarahhenningwrites.com.

Editorial Reviews

It’s All in How You Fall is a beautiful meditation on being brave enough to start over and taking a chance on something—or someone—new. I’m not even remotely a sports person, but I was rooting for Alex and Caro’s love story from the very first page. The way Sarah Henning writes relationships will astonish you—from friendship to romance to siblings and parents, love is laced through every word.”—Ashley Woodfolk, New York Times bestselling author of Blackout and Nothing Burns as Bright as You

“An honest and tender portrayal of the pressures of youth athletics and identity, Henning’s characters show us how to find our balance, even once we’re off the beam for good. It’s All in How You Fall is a must read coming-of-age story wrapped in the perfect summer romance.”—Jennifer Dugan, author of Hot Dog Girl and Melt with You

"Sarah Henning sticks the landing with It's All in How You Fall, an unputdownable coming-of-age story about losing one dream and finding another, perfectly balanced with a swoony romance, family feels and deep friendships. An absolute must read!"—Jennifer Iacopelli, author of Break the Fall and Finding Her Edge

"A sweet and delightful romance exploring self-discovery, identity, and belonging among elite teen athletes. If you love comfort reads with happily ever afters, this book delivers!"—Suzanne Park, author of Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous and The Perfect Escape

“Athletes and armchair fans alike will fall head over heels for this sporty romance. Henning plunges readers into the action as injured teen gymnast Caroline Kepler spends hot summer days trying out volleyball, running, golf, and tennis while working up a slow burn with her brother’s best friend. A winning combination of heart-pounding thrills and all-star swoon!”—Amanda Sellet, author of By the Book

"[Sarah Henning] writes with experience and compassion, never underplaying Caro’s grief over the future she believes she’s lost. Supportive and bighearted characters populate this optimistic novel."—Publishers Weekly

Praise for Throw Like a Girl:

"Determination and grit mixed perfectly with sass and humor on every turn of the page. With mistakes come lessons, and this story tells it in a way that everyone can relate to."—Abbi Glines, #1 New York Times bestselling author

"Henning's Throw Like a Girl is the perfect pitch and catch! Heartfelt and funny, this story is a winner."—justin a. reynolds, author of The Opposite of Always

"Nothing beats sports romance by someone who truly knows and loves sports, and Henning is among the best of the best. Throw in a brilliant family dynamic and great friendships, and this is everything I love about contemporary YA."—Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer

 

From the Publisher

2022-02-09
A former competitive gymnast tries to reimagine her life.

When a diagnosis of spinal stenosis forces 15-year-old Caroline to quit gymnastics, the Kansas state beam champion doesn’t know what to do next. Her best friends, Sunny Chavez and Peregrine Liu, still practice seven hours a day. But Caro’s older brother’s best friend, rising senior and tennis star Alex Zavala, offers to spend the rest of the summer coaching her in other sports she might enjoy. When Caro discovers that Alex has a crush on Sunny, she and Peregrine spend a long time plotting to get them together only for Caro to discover that she herself has a crush on Alex. Fortunately, Alex reciprocates—just when Caro also falls in love with tennis and it’s time for the big tournament at the local country club. Henning was herself a high-level gymnast, and it shows: The brief scenes of Caro in the gym attempting high-level maneuvers crackle with authenticity and tension. The rest is a fairly standard teen rom-com with lots of descriptions of food and clothes, lots of who-drives-whom-where, and plenty of snarky conversation. Caro’s being forced to give up her dream offers scope for real emotional complexity, but Henning doesn’t dig for it; the novel stays on the surface, easy enough to read but not particularly compelling. Caro and Alex read as White; Sunny and Peregrine are cued as having Latinx and East Asian heritage, respectively.

A light read with room to delve deeper. (Fiction. 12-18)

Kirkus Reviews